Tampering of speed limiter devices is continuing at alarming rates within the trucking industry despite an unprecedented 18-month crackdown on rogue operators after a triple fatality crash.

Rogue truckies still modifying speed limiters

Tampering of speed limiter devices is continuing at alarming rates within the trucking industry despite an unprecedented 18-month crackdown on rogue operators after a triple fatality crash.

Leeton grandparents Geoff and Joan Dartnell almost died three weeks ago in a crash with a truck that had illegally modified the device that stops it from going above 100km/h - a mandatory feature in all heavy vehicles.

Statistics obtained by Fairfax confirm police concerns that the dangerous practice is still rife despite coming to the public's attention in January 2012 when Calvyn Logan, 59, and his parents, Donald and Patricia Logan, 81, were killed by a speeding truck owned by Lennons Transport, a company allegedly found to be tampering with speed limiters.

The rate of tampering was as high as one in four trucks stopped during an April operation on the M5. It included one truck in Botany with a speed limiter reconfigured to allow speeds of up to 193km/h, prompting Highway Patrol Commander Superintendent Stuart Smith to launch a tirade on the industry, asking "What will it take for some of these companies to abide by the law? Another triple-fatal crash? Another family's life destroyed?''

Mr Dartnell, 66, believes he momentarily exceeded the speed limit earlier this month to overtake a truck on the Burley Griffin Way, but the Kenworth B-double allegedly sped up and clipped him from behind, sending Mr Dartnell's Subaru spinning out of control and catapulting off the road.

The couple had to be cut from the wreckage and flown to hospital with Mrs Dartnell, 64, suffering a fractured sternum and four fractured vertebrae and her husband left with broken ribs and a fracture in his chest.

Bruising on Joan Dartnell's back sustained in the crash. Photo: Supplied

They were on their way home after a four week European holiday, the longest time they’d ever spent away from their disabled daughter and two grandkids.

‘‘I’ve had some pretty ordinary nightmares and terrible dreams about what could have happened,’’ Mr Dartnell said.

‘‘All I can remember is the scraping of metal and looking down to see the horrified look on my wife’s face.’'

Crash investigators, who were amazed no one had died, found the truck's speed limiter was above the legal limit and the driver has been issued with an infringement and his vehicle defected.

Last Thursday another NSW trucking company, Bobbins Transport, was raided and their 60-strong fleet grounded as part of an investigation into speeding and drug use.

It came a day after a compliance operation on the M7 found 184 defects in 56 trucks, leading RMS director of customer and compliance Peter Wells to express disappointment that so many breaches were found on one stretch of road.

Crash victims: Patricia and Donald Logan. Photo: Supplied

After the Logans died, the police and RMS launched an unprecedented joint task force to conduct highly publicised crackdowns.

They have intercepted more than 2 million vehicles in a year, issued 61,520 infringements and laid more than 1000 criminal ''chain of responsibility'' charges against four companies but it has failed to stop drivers from tampering with speed limiters.

Australian Trucking Association owner-driver representative Frank Black admitted that tampering was still a ''significant problem'' but said police crackdowns were a temporary solution.

‘‘Word will get round that there’s a blitz so everyone will put everything back to normal but then due to the pressures we’re under it’s easy to sneak back into these habits,’’ he said.

He was hopeful the newly-formed Road Safety Remuneration Tribunal, which recently heard submissions from drivers accusing Coles and Woolworths of having ‘‘ridiculous’’ deadlines, would be a solution.

Roads Minister Duncan Gay argued that measures introduced by the state government since coming to office - including immediately grounding vehicles believed to have tampered speed limiters - put NSW ‘‘streets ahead’’ of other states.

He pointed to a 79 per cent reduction in speeding and a 48 per cent reduction in heavy vehicle fatalities since last year.

‘‘It is a promising result but we know it requires continuing enforcement and regulation,’’ a spokesman for the minister said.

National Transport Insurance research director Owen Driscoll said research indicated NSW was far better than other states and speed limiter tampering was limited to a small number of ‘‘bottom feeders’’.